She's a Little Runaway
by rockangel160
Summary: Somewhere out there, Padme Amidala is alive. And Darth Vader will stop at nothing to find her. This is an alternate ending to Episode 3 which explains how Darth Vader knew about Luke.
1. Chapter 1

On an asteroid called Polis Massa, Obi-Wan, Yoda, R2D2, C3PO, and Bail Organa waited to hear about Senator Padme condition. Finally, the medical droid came out of the emergency room to update them.

"We have managed to keep her stabilized, but this stress has caused her to go into premature labor."

Obi-Wan was both worried and relieved. Apparently, Padme was going to be fine, but if her child didn't make it, she'd be heartbroken even more. She already lost the soul of her husband. He asked the medical droid,

"Can you save the baby?"

The medical droid answered,

"If we operate immediately, the babies just might make it."

"BABIES?!" said the whole crowd in shock. Even R2D2 beeped in astonishment.

"Indeed," continued the medical droid, "She carrying twins."

Obi-Wan went in to comfort Padme. All his life, he's known her as a strong, powerful woman. However, she always had to hide her emotions in politics, because he knew they were her one true weakness. Padme let out a huge scream of pain. He tried his best to coach her during the birth of her first child, a son. The midwife droid handed Obi-Wan the newborn boy, and he leaned over to Padme to show her. She took her new son in her arms and gently brushed his cheek.

"Luke, that's what I'll name him," whispered Padme. She quickly handed him back to Obi-Wan as she prepared her breathing for the second. She let out a cry in pain even louder than the first as her second child came through. The midwife lifted the baby up, as Obi-Wan informed her it was a girl.

"Leia," said Padme.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the Emperor watched as his apprentice was brought back to life, but as a new person. He had been put in a suit of black armor because of his lava injuries. There was officially no trace of Anakin Skywalker. The operating table stood up as Vader awakened in his new artificial body.

"Lord Vader, can you hear me?"

"Yes, my master. Where is Padme? Is she safe? Is she alright?"

The Emperor had almost forgotten. Vader's wife was still out there somewhere. He told his apprentice,

"Her whereabouts are unknown. She disappeared after the incident of Mustafar."

Vader broke out of his chains and walked out to all the storm troopers waiting outside.

He ordered to them, "Gather your ships! We will make finding Padme Amidala our top priority! Hurry, move it!"

Back on Polis Massa, Padme cradled Luke as Obi-Wan held Leia. Padme was staring into space; she had too much going through her mind. She tried to make herself laugh with a memory.

"You know, Anakin insisted it was a girl, but I thought it was a boy," she told Obi-Wan, "It looks like we were both right."

She started to cry, as she knew she had to accept the cold hard truth. Anakin really had turned to the dark side. Obi-Wan didn't have to say anything, because he could already read the expression on her face, also a Jedi mind reading ability didn't hurt either.

"You do realize you will all have to hide in order to keep your family safe." Obi-Wan told her.

She nodded in agreement. Her stay here in Polis Massa would have to end, and soon.


	2. Chapter 2 New Home

Darth Vader watched the construction of the new space station being built. The Death Star was supposed to be so powerful it could destroy a whole planet! The Emperor had assigned him to supervise over the workers as they built. However, he had more important things to concentrate on, his wife. He always anticipated for one of the storm troopers to walk in and bring him helpful news. Just the other day, she disappeared without a trace. The last time he saw her, she was unconscious on the landing platform on Mustafar. Hopefully, she wasn't dead. He was very disappointed about her reaction to his proposition. Why couldn't she see the good in this? She herself had said that they may be on the wrong side. All she wanted was for the war to end, and it happened. However, she still fell for the trickery of the Jedi. How did they ever help her? All they did was keep her away from the one she loved, him. The Sith did not forbid that kind of affection, so they could always be together. His offer to her was one only a man wish he could provide. He offered her the galaxy, but what did she do? She turned it away, and she turned him away. The thing that angered him most was that she felt that she could trust Obi-Wan more than she could trust her own husband. She even brought him to kill him! On their wedding day, she promised to stand by his side no matter what. Now he just changes his perspective, and what did she do? She left! The Emperor was right, she didn't trust him anymore. No one did, except the Emperor. He was the one offered to help to keep her from death, but she turned it down. Obi-Wan didn't understand him either. He was too involved with his duty than to consider what the Sith really meant. The Emperor, Darth Sidious, was his only friend now. Finally, he had the power he'd always wanted. Now all he needed to do was to find the woman he'd done all this for.

Padme sat in Bail Organa's discussion room located on his ship. She had two floating bassinets beside her, one blue one pink. They were discussing where they were to go.

"Senator Amidala must go somewhere where she cannot be detected by the Sith." Obi-Wan said.

"Well, I was thinking of the secret lake country on my home planet. Anakin and I were planning to go there to raise our child, well, children." Padme suggested.

"Too obvious it is. Spotted you will be." Yoda explained.

"Well, there's a small retreat around the castle where my wife and I live. It should be safe there." Bail offered. Everyone agreed that that would be a good hiding place.

"Now about the twins, separated they should be." Yoda instructed.

"WHAT? You can't do that!" Padme shouted. Even Obi-Wan was shocked by this idea.

"Less risky it is of being found, if in different locations they are in." Yoda explained.

"But, they're my children! I can't be separated from either of them; they're all I have left!" Padme protested.

"Master Yoda, she suffered a great loss already. She lost the man she cared about most. Please, don't make her suffer even more." Obi-Wan said supportively. After a moment of thinking, Yoda made a big sigh.

"Alright, stay together they can. But warned you were. Easier to find your family is. Take great caution, you must." Yoda replied.

"Oh, I will! I promise! Thank you, Thank you!" Padme exclaimed joyfully.

They landed on Alderaan near the Queen's castle. Bail took them to the queen to tell her of their plans.

"Oh, of course they can stay. In their desperate hour, it's the least I can do" Queen Breha responded. Padme was very excited about this. Finally, she felt like she was safe for a moment. As they left for the retreat, Padme tapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder.

"Obi-Wan, you've always been a close friend of mine. I was wondering… if you could stay with us to protect us. We need all the help we can get." She said. Obi-Wan looked surprised for a moment. Then he turned around to face her with a smile.

"Of course, M'lady, I will do all in my power to protect my brother's family." He told her. They arrived at the large retreat hidden behind the castle. They said their goodbyes to Yoda, who would be hiding on a swamp planet by the name of Dagobah. Padme walked through the halls of the lovely retreat. She almost felt like she was a queen again. She was able to borrow some clothes of a handmaiden to wear as a disguise. Obi-Wan bought something new to wear at the market place. In order to keep them hidden, the Queen agreed to have her handmaidens bring their necessities like food and water. Padme's new life was very different from her old one, but yet somehow everything reminded her of Anakin. Often times she'd find herself crying at night, for the one she loved was not beside her. She'd calm down whenever she comforted one of her twins from their crying. At least she was not alone; she had her children, the center of her world, and her friends with her. She heard that Polis Massians were sworn to secrecy, so she felt like no one would spill her secret visit.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader was still inspecting the destruction of the Death Star. Although, every minute his heart beat quicker, for he was anticipating some news of the search party. Suddenly, a storm trooper burst through the door. He had the news Vader was expecting.

"Lord Vader, our sources say they saw Padme Amidala leaving toward Polis Massa after Mustafar." The storm trooper said.

Underneath his mask, Vader eyes bulged out wide open.

He ordered to the storm trooper, "Prepare my ship. Gather your troops. We will find information at Polis Massa if we have to tear that asteroid apart!"


	3. Chapter 3 A Trace

A/N: Alright CherryBlossoms016, they stay together, now WHERE'S MY COOKIE?!

Another day began for Senator Padme Amidala. She had now come to a daily routine. Get up, get dressed, feed babies, dress babies, and hide herself from society. She liked to spend most of her time with her daughter, Leia, while Ob-Wan helped out with Luke. It's not that she played favorites; that would be a terrible thing for a mother to do. It was just hard for her to look into her son's bright blue eyes. He always reminded her of Anakin. Also, he was starting to grow thin locks of shiny gold hair, like his father's. She didn't ignore her son completely, though. Every now and then she'd be the one to take care of him, instead of Obi-Wan. However, when Leia would begin to cry, Padme was always the first one to comfort her. Leia reminded her so much of herself. Her hair was growing chocolate brown to match her large eyes. Sometimes, Leia would make a face that was so much like Padme's, it scared her.

One day, as Padme was trying to get Leia to sleep, a flashback came to her. _We can go to the lake house where no one will know, where we can be safe. I can go early to fix up the baby's room. I know the perfect spot; right by the gardens._ Suddenly, Leia started to cry loudly, as if she could feel her mother's pain. Padme almost chuckled. Strong in the force this one is, as Yoda would say. She comforted Leia with her soothing voice until she calmed down. The Padme walked to the window, and as she looked into the Alderaanian sun set, a tear dripped down her cheek. Little did she know, Leia was still awake, and she was watching her. Her eyes widened as she captured this photographic memory of her mother to treasure always. A woman who was kind, beautiful, but sad.

An Imperial shuttle landed in the Polis Massan hangar bay. As the latch opened, several storm troopers marched out and turned their attention to the next person coming out. Darth Vader trotted out onto the asteroid. He pushed and shoved everyone who got in his way as he headed towards the medical facility. He marched up to the front desk and commanded to the clerk,

"Tell me what you know about Padme Amidala's visit to this medical facility."

The man looked frightened as he answered,

"I'm s-sorry sir, b-but that information is c-c-classified."

Lord Vader used the force to choke this man until he found out what he wanted to know. When the man said nothing, he threw him across the room. He let out a loud yell of disappointment. Then he turned to the computer,. There is where he could find the information he needed. He opened the file to the medical log. He looked at the date of two weeks ago, when she disappeared. The data was organized chronologically, so he checked the files from later that night. Then his heart stopped for a moment, there was the file he'd been looking for. PADME NABERRIE AMIDALA SKYWALKER 10:16. The log didn't give much, but it gave enough. It said she had given birth, but there weren't any details about the child. Then he found the information he was looking for.

CHECKOUT TIME: 11:43

LEFT IN ALDERAANIAN CRUISER.

He thought about who she could have left with from Alderaan. Then it hit him. Bail Organa, the senator from Alderaan, was a good friend of hers. His feelings told him right. She was on Alderaan. He marched back to his ship, and told the pilot,

"Take us to the capital of Alderaan! Immediately!"

Vader was impatient throughout the whole trip. Where exactly was she hiding? Luckily, the Force would lead him to her once he was close enough. What would he do once he found her? Hopefully by now she'd come to her senses and realized what he did was best for the galaxy. And this child, she'd already had their child. A part of him was saddened by the fact that he was not there to witness the birth. This popped one more question into his head. Was it a boy or a girl? He would find out soon enough. Then a storm trooper walked in and told him,

"Lord Vader, the Emperor is on the holoprojector for you. Vader paused. He'd forgotten to tell his master of his mission. He rushed to the projector where the Emperor was waiting.

"Lord Vader, it's about time you made contact."

"I'm sorry, Master."

"I don't remember instructing you to leave the construction site."

"I was just on a personal mission. We're on a trace of Senator Amidala's location."

"The Empire does not have time for your own problems, Vader."

"Please, Master. This is also a mission to find my child."

"Ah, I see. So your wife delivered, did she? Very well, continue your mission."

"Thank you, Master."

"However, when you find the child, you must bring him to me."

"…Very well, Master." Vader ended the transmission.


	4. Chapter 4 Kidnapping!

Darth Vader's ship finally reached its destination, Alderaan. He landed in a spot that was located in some kind of desert. It was a few miles from the castle, but it was far enough to where he couldn't be tracked. He stepped out into the sandy plains. It was unlike the beautiful forest near the castle, but not all regions are the same on a planet. He decided not to take all his troopers with him. He wanted to be sneaky about this, plus he needed a few men to run the ship for a quick getaway. They all got on their speeders and rode into town.

Darth Vader and his men all walked into a filthy bar filled with vile creatures. It reminded him a lot of the cantina back home on Tatooine. Then again, he would never consider Tatooine a home again, after all the memories came to him. He lost his mother there. He was a slave, there, and he killed a whole Tusken Raider tribe there. Finally, he snapped back into the present, and scanned the room for scum that might be of use to him. Normally, all chitchat began in a simple card game. So, he headed to the card table to play a game of sabaac. Once he placed his bet looked out the all the other players and asked them,

"Y'know that senator from Naboo who ran off? Anyone have any idea where she could have gone?"

Everyone looked up from their card and gave him a weird look.

"What's it to ya?"

"I don't know. I don't follow any Senators around."

"Why? Is there a big price on her head?" Comments came from all the players except one, the one on the other hand of the table. Darth Vader continued the game with almost no hope of finding her. Afterwards, he left the table in a plan to find another way to get answers. Then, that stranger who didn't speak up stopped him.

"Hey," he muttered, "I know where you can find that Naboo aristocrat you're looking for." Vader heart quickened and turned around to face the stranger. He replied,

"Where? Tell me!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute. I can tell you, but it's gonna cost ya." The stranger said. Vader sighed, pulled out a sack full of coins and dropped it into the guy's hand. The man inspected the money in his palm as he answered,

"I hear she's hiding near the castle. It's a very isolated place, very hush hush. She's been there for a while now. Also hear she's got a kid." Vader took a moment to take it all in, and then he looked at the man, thanked him, and walked out. He got on his speeder with all of his storm troopers following him.

"Hurry! We must go the castle of the Royal House of Alderaan!"

They traveled all the way to the front of the castle. Vader tried to sense the beings in the entire castle. No Padme. He widened his range, and finally picked up her presence. She was far behind the castle. He told his troops to travel all the way behind the castle. As he got closer and closer to their location, her presence grew stronger and stronger. He finally pinpointed her deep into the forest. He also felt the presence of an infant nearby, most likely his own. He and his men snuck up outside the room they were in.

Padme had greatly appreciated Obi-Wan's help. Who knew he was so good with children? Padme watched him as he played with Luke. It's a shame a Jedi wasn't allowed to have a family, Obi-Wan would be an excellent father. Luckily, he got a chance with her children. He was especially good with Luke. Normally, Padme would take care of Leia, and Obi-Wan would take care of Luke. He seemed to have a lot of affection for Luke, probably because he reminded him so much of Anakin. Oh, Anakin. Every mention of his name gave Padme a heavy heart. They had seen what had happened to him on the Holonet. He was trapped in a body of black armor, now going by the name Darth Vader. Padme and Obi-Wan would often discuss whether or not to tell the twins their paternity when they were older. She continued to watch Obi-Wan play with Luke. Inside, she felt a little guilty. She had hardly spent anytime with Luke, and he was technically her first child. He decided to give Obi-Wan a break with Luke, and a chance with Leia.

"Obi-Wan, would you mind feeding Leia? I can take over with Luke."

"Of course, M'lady."

Obi-Wan walked down the long hallway all the way to Leia's room. Padme cradled Luke in her arms. She stared into those big beautiful eyes he had received from his father. He smiled at her, in a manner similar to Anakin's. Padme looked at his face, one of innocence. She remembered Anakin's innocent face on Tatooine, where she first met him. She remembered how he thought she was an angel, and the japor snippet he gave her. She held onto it. She still wore it with her, as it was a token of his affection.

Suddenly, she heard a crash from the window! She spun around to see two storm troopers rushing toward her. She tried to reach for her emergency blaster kept above the dresser, but they caught her first. They grabbed Luke from her arms, and put an oxygen mask to her face. Except it wasn't oxygen, it was a sleeping gas. The last thing she saw was a black figure far away, and then she blacked out.

"Take them back to the ship! Quickly!" Darth Vader ordered. He felt the presence of Obi-Wan running toward the room. What was he doing here? That didn't matter now, what mattered was getting these two out of here. They all jumped back to their speeders waiting outside the window. He turned back only once to see Obi-Wan with a look of shock and then running back into the house, probably to get his own speeder. Vader knew he was going to follow them, so they had to hurry back to their ship before he would catch up to them. Vader rode off with his men carrying Padme and their baby in tow. They sped off into the forest trying to get to their ship in the desert.

Obi-Wan didn't have much time. Right now, he had to get the speeder he kept for emergencies outside. Leia would be fine where she was. She was under the care of the handmaidens right now. He followed the force trail left by Vader. He took a few minutes, but finally had his speeder in sight. He saw the storm troopers with him. Two were holding people. One with Padme, one with Luke. Three others were just there for support. He had to aim his fire very carefully; he didn't want to hit his friends. He shot and hit one of the storm troopers. Then Vader looked back and saw Obi-Wan on his tail. They were coming up to a rocky terrain now; maybe he could lose him there. Vader and his troopers split up, and each went a different direction past each rocky hill, he could only follow one. The wind whooshed as they passed rock after rock. Obi-Wan was more clever than to follow one individual. He took his own path that would take him to all of them at the end of the range. They all had to go to one place didn't they? He came out of the terrain with only a short distance between him and Vader. They had the ship in sight now. Suddenly, Vader noticed that Obi-Wan was close to catching up with him. He quickly pulled out a few detonators and threw them in Obi-Wan's direction. Obi-Wan's quickly jumped off his speeder as it was engulfed in the detonators' explosion, and continued to run by foot. He saw Vader rush into the ship with an unconscious Padme and a wailing Luke. The ship took off before Obi-Wan could reach them, but not before he could throw a tracking device onto the vessel. Obi-Wan could only imagine what Vader would do to Padme and Luke, but now was not the time to think about it. Right now, he had to run back and tell the others of their kidnapping. Also, he had to prepare for their rescue.


	5. Chapter 5 Face to Face

Obi-Wan ran back to the castle to tell the Queen of Senator Amidala's and Luke's kidnapping. Both the Queen and Bail were shocked. The Queen tried to help.

"We must help them! We can gather all our troops and send them…"

"No," interrupted Obi-Wan, "This is something personal, I must go at it alone."

"Very well," continued the Queen, "You can travel in one of the regular cargo ships, that way it's safer from being detected."

"Thank you, Your Highness," said Obi-Wan as he turned to leave, but then he stopped to ask one more favor, "Oh, and there is one more thing. I need you to do. I need you to take care of Leia while I'm gone."

"It will be done, Master Kenobi." The Queen said. With that being said, Obi-Wan rushed to the cargo ship with C-3PO and R2D2 by his side.

Meanwhile, Padme finally gained back consciousness, and looked around. Complete darkness surrounded her. Where was she? Was she blind? What happened? She tried to remember the last thing she saw. She remembered a storm trooper coming towards her and jerking Luke away from her. Luke, where was he? Is he alright? What do they want with them? A door opened and two storm troopers grabbed her by the arms and carried her off. As they walked to somewhere, she began to look around. This place was unfamiliar to her. They had to walk down a long, dark hallway into a fancy room decorated in black and red. She was brought before a figure in a dark cloak, half-man, and half-machine. It was her husband, Darth Vader. Padme wanted to gasp, but she knew she had to be quiet in a situation like this.

"Hello, Senator Amidala."

"Hello, Anakin."

Vader paused, as he knew she still referred to him by that name. He corrected her,

"My name is Darth Vader now. Anakin is the naïve, underappreciated Jedi of my past."

"It is also the name of the brave hero I married." She said with a smug look.

"I am still the same man who loved you; I am just not the one who pledged his life to the Jedi."

"Anakin, why are you doing this? It is the Emperor, not the Jedi Order, who was corrupt. Don't you see? He's taken justice away from the galaxy!"

"The Emperor has brought peace and order to this galaxy! And I do not want to remind you again that you will address me as Darth Vader."

Padme realized she wouldn't make things any better by calling him Anakin, so she decided use "Darth Vader" for the time being since the Anakin she knew wasn't here before her now. She continued,

"Very well, then, Vader. I will not let Emperor Palpatine tell me what's right and what's wrong like you have let him. I can determine that by myself."

Vader chuckled as he said, "Oh, so sure are you? Little do you remember you already have let Palpatine influence your decisions. I seem to remember a time where a 14-year old queen was advised by Senator Palpatine to take Chancellor Valorum from office so he could take the position himself. So you have made the same decision I have. Therefore, you have no right to judge."

Padme froze for a second as she realized he was right. She had let Palpatine control her thoughts. However, she has learned from those decisions, and she learned never to trust Palpatine again. She said confidently,

"Well, I have learned from my mistakes. So you just tell your precious Emperor that I will not become a part of this unfair government."

Vader chuckled again as he responded, "The Emperor doesn't want you. He wants something else from you."

Padme was stunned for a minute. She wondered what the Emperor wanted then if he didn't want her. Suddenly, she heard an infant's faint cry from the distance. It got louder and louder as a storm trooper put a baby in Vader's arms. She gasped as she realized what he wanted. He wanted her son, Luke!

"Take her away; I have no use of her now." Vader said coldly as he kept his eyes on the boy.

Before Padme could react, two storm troopers dragged her away as she struggled to reach her crying child.

"No! No! Let me go! You can't take him from me! Let me go! Luke, Luke! NOOO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs with tears pouring out her eyes as she lost sight of her evil husband holding on to her son.

Obi-Wan had attached his datapad into the programmer and the tracker he put on the ship located where they were. He followed it towards the spot far away. Finally, the tracker led him to what seemed to be a deteriorated moon. He got closer and realized that was no moon. It was a space station, in progress. His ship all of a sudden fell into a tractor beam and was heading towards the station. No matter how much he jiggled the controls, the ship continued into the station. When it finally landed, a few storm troopers were waiting outside to see who was in the cargo ship. Obi-Wan was prepared for this. As the latch opened, he jumped over the troopers and sliced them all with his lightsaber. Now, he had to find Padme and Luke.


	6. Chapter 6 The proposition

Obi-Wan tried as best as he could to hide from storm troopers. It wasn't easy. They walked past the hallways every few seconds. He needed a way to get past them undetected. Then he got an idea. He snuck into the tool closet until a storm trooper walked by, all alone. He pulled the storm trooper into the closet and knocked him out with the hammer he found nearby. Then, he put on the storm trooper's armor to use as a disguise. Luckily, over the years he learned how to imitate a trooper's voice, so that should come in handy. He felt Padme's presence in the detention cells, so he headed towards that direction. It was very hard for him to resist running, because he needed to save her as quickly as possible. However, if he seemed to be in a rush, he could blow his cover.

Darth Vader walked towards the dark bassinet he kept in the corner of the office. It wouldn't stay there permanently. It would be moved when the nursery was finished. Every now and then, he'd chuckle at the idea. This was going to be the biggest space station ever to be built. It even included a huge laser cannon that could destroy an entire planet! It caused fear in everyone, but it would include a nursery for a small infant. It would be built at the far end of the station, so hardly anyone would know about it. However, construction would take a while, so he had to keep this child in his corner for now. He needed to be somewhere he could keep an eye on him, but hidden from others. There's no greater sign of vulnerability than a baby in your office. He looked down at his child. His son, who he heard Padme call Luke, had wavy locks of golden blonde and eyes blue like water. He looked so innocent, almost too innocent. No one would believe that a person of such power like Vader would have a child so sweet and gentle. However, whenever Luke would smile, Vader felt soft inside. So far, this was the only creature, besides the Emperor, who didn't fear him. Every time he walked past someone, he could feel their hearts quicken, but not Luke, he simply smiled, and no one could explain why. He reminded him of the _young_ Anakin Skywalker, the one who won the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine. Oh, how he despised that place now, whenever he went there it only brought him pain. He could feel the force flow through Luke, and Vader planned to manipulate it to make Luke become his sith apprentice. Together, they could rule the galaxy as father and son, and they would be unstoppable.

Then, Vader turned his thoughts to Padme. This was indeed a difficult situation for them. What was he going to do with her? She didn't want any part of this. She acted like didn't want anything to do with him, either. In their meeting, Vader had tried to make her believe she was worthless to the Emperor. However, it was only not to show any weakness, but deep inside, a part of him was waiting for her to beg for his return from the dark side. That same part of him would have agreed to come back if only she'd want him again. But then, what would the Emperor think? The Emperor had promised him Padme's safety, and he got it for her. She survived the birth of their son. Now, Vader had a life-long debt to pay the Emperor for his kindness, and he was willing to do whatever satisfied him. Vader figured that he could keep Padme and the Emperor's trust in him if he made Padme feel worthless, so she'd feel like the only way to gain respect again was to join them. That way he would look strong in the eyes of both his master and his wife.

Padme sat in her cell, with all the troubles of the world. She'd often hear news reports about women who were trapped with a controlling husband, but none of them got to the point where she was locked in a detention cell by her husband's orders! Padme had never felt so weak and powerless in her life. She had done no crime, but there were no courts to put a stop to any mistreatment. She felt like she was now one of the Empire's toys. They do whatever they want with her for their own amusement. If they wanted to take away food privileges for no reason, they could. If they wanted to order her to be put to work, they were free to do so. What bothered her most was that Vader said she was worthless to the Emperor. As a former queen and senator she always considered the minds of her people before making a decision. For that, they respected her and knew that what she said was in the best of judgment. If anyone had a complaint, they were free to tell her peacefully, and she would try the best she could to fix it. The Emperor's act of tyranny was very frustrating. He'd brainwashed millions of people into believing that he knew everything and that he was the only one that bring them peace. He'd stopped the war, but only by gaining control of everyone it. A war was supposed to end when both sides come to agreement, not when one power controlled all. Her anger grew larger, and all she wanted to do was break out of her prison and tell everyone that the Emperor is evil and shouldn't be allowed to tell anyone to do anything.

Then, two storm troopers opened her cell and dragged her out again. She hated being dragged; it made her feel like a piece of furniture. They dragged her back to the throne room, and threw her down at the feet of Darth Vader. She rolled her eyes as she got up again.

"Good evening, Senator Amidala." Vader greeted her.

"Yeah, some evening." Padme shot back sarcastically.

"I have a proposition for you. I expect you to think about deeply." Vader said calmly. Padme tilted her head in wonder and confusion.

"What kind of proposition?" she asked. Vader got up and started circling around her as he explained.

"You and I both know the Emperor is corrupt. He has taken power from each senator in this galaxy, including you. He has tricked you under his persuasive influence to hand all power over to him. I'm quite embarrassed for you. I thought a senator like you would be clever enough to spot his plan sooner." Vader started. Padme's skin boiled as she started getting frustrated at Vader's mockery.

"I guess… I was wrong. You are as gullible as any other citizen of the Empire. Only a fool would believe that a Chancellor would give back emergency powers after a war. You and your delegation of 2000 have failed to restore the Republic. You have only brought shame to yourself, and now not even your own planet respects you. However, we will deal with your little posse soon enough." He continued. Padme's head rose in shock. He wouldn't do anything to them, would he? Those were her friends! They were only trying to bring democracy back into the galaxy. Now her face was red with fury. Vader smiled under his helmet, for his plan was working.

"Don't worry; we wouldn't hurt your friends that I assure you. We'd only use our convincing ways to make them see our side in this situation. However, that won't be necessary, because what I'm offering to you would be in your favor and theirs. Remember how I told you I can overthrow the Emperor? We can do it together, and I can make you the Empress. You can adjust the galaxy how you want to, and you'll never have to deal with those Separatists ever again. You remember how often they wanted to kill you? You can show Palpatine how much of a better ruler you are than him. Also, every planet in the galaxy will respect you for being an excellent ruler. I can make it all possible, if you want me to." Vader finished off.

Padme was in complete shock. Was she really being offered the whole galaxy here and now? She thought about it. She _could_ right all the Emperor's wrongs. She wouldn't have to hide anymore, but then she thought about it deeper. All those people, would they really respect her? No, they would only hate her, for she was once a symbol of justice and equality. They would only taunt her with that if she became so tyrannical. Vader would only hurt those who disagreed behind her back. That was the last thing she wanted. No, she couldn't take his offer. She had to rebuild the Republic, not rule this unfair Empire. Padme looked up at Vader, who was still waiting for her answer.

"Never! I can't believe you think I'd actually be the head of this tyrannical government! I thought you knew me better, I only want a part in an equal government." She spat in his direction when she finished.

Vader was very disappointed, and very angry! He couldn't relate to this woman anymore. It couldn't work anymore. They had both changed, and now she would only be a problem to him. Now when Vader gets upset, he'll do things he might regret later. Or things he might not regret later. He had to remove this… problem.

"I've tried to be cooperative with you, but you leave me no choice! Take her back to her cell, and prepare the EXECUTION CHAMBER!" Vader boomed loudly.

"WHAT?! NO! Put me down! No! Let me go! I won't let you! No!" Padme screamed as she kicked and struggled trying to get free from the storm troopers that came in and grabbed her.

TO BE CONTINUED….


	7. Chapter 7 The Sweet Escape

Padme continued to fight and struggle, but she still couldn't get free. One of these troopers had an especially tight grip on her. Pretty soon, she couldn't fight anymore, and she thought about what evil soul possessed her husband. What was he going to do with Luke? He was probably going turn him into his sith apprentice. What about Leia? Did he even know about her? He never mentioned her, so he probably didn't know, thank goodness. She had tried to bring him back from the dark side, but she failed. However, she did notice calmness in his breath whenever he looked at Luke. If someone could only get her son back so he never learns evil and greed, he might be able to stop Vader one day, and bring back Anakin. But who? Unless someone could get her free, it wouldn't be her, but someone like…

All of a sudden, one storm trooper hit the other in the back of his head with his blaster, knocking him out. Padme was confused now, was this storm trooper actually going to let her free? Her confusion went away when he took off his helmet. She hugged Obi-Wan for he had saved her life.

"Obi-Wan! I'm so glad you're here!" Padme exclaimed.

"Sssshhhhh!" Obi-Wan hushed. No one else could know that he was aboard until the time was right.

"We have to get you out of here. Where's Luke?" Obi-Wan said seriously.

"Where's Leia?" Padme wanted to know first.

"She's safe with Bail, now where's Luke?" Obi-Wan said.

"He's with Vader in his office. He keeps him in the corner where he can watch him. What do we do?" Padme answered.

"Don't panic. I have a plan. First take this," Obi-Wan handed her his blaster as he took out his own lightsaber, "Now, follow me." He instructed her. They avoided every trooper necessary as they snuck up to the Security Holovideo Operating room. They found the security trooper watching each security camera. They snuck up behind him, and Padme jammed the blaster into his back threateningly while Obi-Wan held his lightsaber to the trooper's throat.

"Now, listen, and listen well," Obi-Wan started to the startled trooper, "You're going to do exactly what I tell you, or else I'll have my friend here start some aggressive negotiations with you." Obi-Wan threatened. Padme poked her blaster in his back again.

Vader stared into space in his office. He debated in his head whether his decision was right or not. A part of him still loved her, but that part was silenced by black heart that overpowered it. He gave her a choice, and she refused to cooperate. Therefore, she did this to herself, case closed. All of a sudden, his comlink beeped.

"Lord Vader, you are needed in the security room immediately."

"What for?"

"It's an emergency, sir."

"What is the emergency?"

"Just come see it for yourself, sir."

"I will not come unless you tell me what it is." Vader demanded. On the other line, Padme and Obi-Wan didn't know what to tell him. Then, Obi-Wan got an idea. He whispered to the hostage trooper, "Tell him Obi-Wan Kenobi is aboard."

"An Obi-Wan Kenobi has snuck aboard this ship." The hostage continued. Vader threw down his comlink, and stomped towards the security room.

"Why did you do that?" Padme, who was in complete shock, asked Obi-Wan.

"I know what I'm doing. Now, I want you to run back to his office and hide near Luke. I'll be there in a while, and when I brush my moustache like this, you grab Luke and run to the escape pods. If I'm not there by the time Vader is in your sight, go on and escape without me. Now go! Hurry, and don't cross paths with Vader on your way! May the Force be with you." Obi-Wan instructed.

"And you, too." Padme said as she rushed out of the area. Vader would take the shortest way possible to get to the security room, so she would take the long way and go around. She held on to her blaster tightly, in case she had to dispose of any storm troopers. She quickly hid behind on the other side of the wall as she heard foot steps coming her way. She watched as Vader headed toward Obi-Wan. She wondered how long Obi-Wan would be able to distract him. She couldn't press her luck, so she had to get back to the office as soon as possible. She ran through the hallways and shot every trooper that got in her way. Even after a year or two, she still had it. She ran into the office, and found Luke in the corner. She lightly patted his head and then hid behind some kind of machine a few feet away from his bassinet.

Obi-Wan waited at the security room. The storm trooper had fled in fear, so he was alone. He kept his lightsaber in his hand, because he knew Vader would want another duel. Suddenly, Vader walked through the door.

"Hello, there." Obi-Wan said calmly. Vader ignited his lightsaber, to which Obi-Wan pretended to be intimidated.

"You are going to pay for the injuries you've caused me!" Vader boomed.

"Do we really have to get into a duel so quickly?" Obi-Wan chuckled slightly.

With that last word being said, Vader lunged for the first attack. Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, and blocked his attack. They spent a few minutes fighting in the room before moving to the hallway. Vader's offense was growing stronger, but his defense was not as strong. Obi-Wan fighting style balanced his offense and defense. However, Obi-Wan did have to admit that this mechanical body had a stronger advantage than his flesh body. Obi-Wan had barely defeated General Grievous, but the cyborg was not force sensitive. This was a fighting machine that was also strong in the force. Their duel continued through the halls and close to the office. Obi-Wan hoped that Padme had found a good hiding spot. He could feel Vader's anger, and he knew that the Emperor had been teaching him to use this to his advantage. It made them more powerful and increased their pride. However, a wise man once said: Twice the pride; double the fall. His goal wasn't to defeat Darth Vader here and now. That job was to be reserved for someone else. Right now, he needed a distraction to get Luke and Padme to safety, and then safely get away himself. As they entered the office, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of Padme hiding behind a machine. That would be good for now. Obi-Wan jumped high into the air and landed behind Vader making him turn around. Now Vader wouldn't be able to see Padme head out the door. At one moment when Vader took his eyes off of Obi-Wan, he gave Padme the signal. She caught this signal, grabbed Luke, and ran out of the room. Obi-Wan smiled shortly, and continued the duel. He had to give her some time to make it to the escape pods before escaping himself. He gave her about two minutes then found himself in a clench with Vader.

"You've changed much in these few months, my apprentice." Obi-Wan said.

"I am no longer your apprentice, Obi-Wan! You never treated me with the respect the Emperor has. He appreciates me more than you ever did." Vader shot back.

"Anakin, he's only using you. Once you are of no more use to him, he'll throw you aside like he did with his other apprentices." Obi-Wan responded.

"You are to refer to me as Lord Vader now. And I have accomplished what every other apprenticed failed to do. I have brought peace to this galaxy." Vader said with pride.

"Vader, your mind has been twisted by the Emperor. You have only taken away justice and turned this government into a dictatorship." Obi-Wan said.

"This is not about politics, Obi-Wan. I have finally achieved the power I've always wanted. I finally feel complete, and people recognize my power." Vader responded.

Obi-Wan chuckled, "That's completely you, Vader. Always thinking of yourself and never of others. Why, look! It looks like you've completely forgotten about your son!" He pointed to the now empty bassinet.

Vader spun around to see what his old master was talking about He ran to the bassinet to find it empty! His son was gone without a trace. And Vader's emotions distracted him from watching Obi-Wan run away. Vader spun around again to find the room completely empty. He rushed out of the room to try and capture Obi-Wan and his son's abductor.

Meanwhile, Padme waited at the escape pods for Obi-Wan. She placed Luke inside one, and kept herself alert with her blaster on hand. She heard footsteps and aimed her blaster carefully. She filled with relief when she saw Obi-Wan come across from the corner. Padme jumped into the escape pod she put Luke in with Obi-Wan behind her, she set the destination for Naboo.

"Naboo? We have to go back to Alderaan!" Obi-Wan exclaimed

"Don't panic. I know what I'm doing." Padme said confidently. She cradled Luke in her arms as the escape pod launched from the station.


	8. Chapter 8 The Ultimate Sacrifice

Padme cradled Luke in her arms as the escape pod left the space station where she was kept. Darth Vader now knew about his son, and it would be even harder to keep him away from the boy. They were lucky he didn't know about Leia, his daughter, for she was still safe on Alderaan.

"You understand we can't stay on Alderaan anymore." Obi-Wan spoke up.

"I know. We have to take him somewhere else from Naboo when we land. If Vader tracks this pod, he must be far away." Padme said softly.

"We must take him somewhere where Vader wouldn't dare to look." Obi-Wan said as they now had to find a new planet. Padme thought long and hard until she finally thought of the perfect place.

"Tatooine." Padme said.

"But isn't that too obvious? That's Vader's home planet!" Obi-Wan said confused.

"He wouldn't go back. It's the one where he lost his mother. The one where he slaughtered a village of sand people. It's too painful for Vader to go back. Luke can be safe there. He has relatives he can live with." Padme explained.

"What about Leia? Should we bring her too?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No, she's safe where she is. Yoda was right. They are safer if they are far apart." Padme said with a heavy heart, but no tears. She was done with crying. Tears wouldn't help her family; only actions could help her family.

"And which one will you stay with?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Neither. Tell each family that they are the permanent guardians." She replied. Obi-Wan's face was filled with complete shock. Was she really giving up her twins?

"I'm only putting them in danger if I stay with them. If Vader comes for me, I cannot have my son or daughter within his reach. I must leave them for their own safety. As much as it tortures me, I know it's the right thing to do." Padme said turning her face from Obi-Wan and into space. Obi-Wan didn't know what to say. He could say she was as wise as Master Yoda. Giving up her children for their own good was a major sacrifice. It showed a pure heart.

The escape pod landed on Naboo as Obi-Wan and Padme walked towards the secret retreat Padme had come to years before. It would be a safe place for _her_, just not her kids. If Vader dared to walk through these halls, he'd find the memories of their loved shared that weekend 3 years ago. It might even awaken Anakin in that black monster. As they made it to the front door, Padme told them,

"You can use the secret shuttle I keep under the hill. Also, I need you to stay with Luke." She turned around to face Obi-Wan who was holding Luke. "If Vader comes to find him, I'll need you to protect him."

Obi-Wan turned to leave, but turned back one moment to analyze Amidala as she watched the sun set out her window. He felt a presence there he had never realized before, as if she was force-sensitive. He thought about how this could be possible, but then it hit him. Padme had had two force-sensitive life-forms inside of her, and even though they had already left her, she still contained some of their midi-chlorians. He wondered if she would be able to…No, she couldn't. Could she? She was too old. However, she did show a sacrifice only a selfless Jedi would do. They had to at least try.

"Padme," He called back to her. She turned to face him. "I know it's a little far-fetched, but I think you are capable of studying the force." He told her. Her head tipped to the side with great confusion.

"You mean…I could be…a Jedi?" She pointed to herself almost laughing at the idea.

"We could give it a try." Obi-Wan shrugged. Padme couldn't grasp the idea. He had to be joking with her.

"Oh and how could I do that? I'm not force-sensitive." Padme threw her head back in laughter.

"Before, you weren't, but now I sense a large amount of midi-chlorians in your bloodstream." Obi-Wan said

"Well, how did they get there? Was it something I ate?" Padme said still chuckling.

"Actually, I think it was the presence of Luke and Leia inside you that did it. Plus, you sacrificing them for their safety showed a great amount of selflessness in you, the amount for a Jedi." Obi-Wan explained. Padme stopped laughing and turned serious.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Padme stared at him.

"Why would I joke about anything like this?" He told her. She looked down for a minute to consider, but then looked up again to reply,

"I can't be a Jedi. That takes years of training! And don't you have to start from infanthood?"

Obi-Wan encouraged her, "If you know at least the basics of the force, they can help you if Vader ever comes for you." Padme thought about this. She realized she would be able to defend herself even more if she studied the force, so she couldn't turn it down.

"Alright, I will accept the training. But who will be my teacher? You're going to be with Luke all the way on Tatooine." Padme asked.

"Qui-Gon will be able to teach you." Obi-Wan told her. Padme just got confused all over again. Qui-Gon was dead! He was killed 13 years ago!

"How?! He's dead." Padme asked.

"He has learned to communicate from the other side of the force." Obi-Wan explained. Padme realized then that the force was even more powerful than she imagined. The force could not be understood by questions and answers. She would come to understand through her training.

"May the force be with you, Padme." Obi-Wan said as he turned to leave.

"You too, Obi-Wan. Goodbye, old friend." She said as she touched his shoulder. She looked at Luke and brushed his forehead one last time.

"Take good care of Luke." She told him.

"I will, I promise." Obi-Wan said before he closed the door on his way out.

Padme watched out the window as the shuttle left for Tatooine. She saw her son and friend disappear into the night sky. She turned around to go to bed. She fell into a deep sleep and dreamt about her children. She saw her son on Tatooine, living with Beru and Owen, without a care in the world. She saw her daughter on Alderaan, a beautiful princess, and a strong leader like her mother. Both were far, far away from Vader. And Padme…was watching everyone at the top of the galaxy.

_Padme_

The next morning, Padme woke up to somebody calling her name.

_Padme, wake up._

She got out of bed to see Qui-Gon in a blue ghost form standing across the room.

"Qui-Gon…" She whispered.

"Are you ready to begin your training?" He asked her. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed.

"I'm ready."


	9. Chapter 9 Padme's Vision

Padme sat on her living room floor with her legs crossed, at absolute peace. She had never been this relaxed before. Qui-Gon Jinn had taught her how to relieve herself of all her troubles. Every time she worried about what could be happening to her kids right now, she reassured herself that they were in the good hands of friends and family. Whenever she worried about Vader finding her, she reminded herself that that is why she's doing this. Qui-Gon was impressed with her progress. She'd mastered a year's worth of abilities within a few months! Yes, she was improving quickly, indeed, but almost too quickly. He worried that her catching on so fast would make her arrogant, like her husband. Then, he assured himself that she was certainly humble. She proved that the day she got on her hands and knees for the Gungans' help even as a queen. This quick learning had its advantages, too. Every day she was growing even more prepared to fight Vader; a task they were only waiting for. He would come find her one day.

Across the whole galaxy, Vader never took his eyes off the radars. He checked the destination of the pod which his family and old master left in, Naboo, months ago. But he was disappointed to sense no one familiar to him on the entire planet. So now, desperate times call for desperate measures. He'd have to start at the left end of the galaxy, and have his storm troopers search each planet and moon they came across as they traveled across the entire galaxy. Sure, it would take months, maybe even years before he finally found her, but it guaranteed that she would be discovered.

Padme had found Anakin's old lightsaber in the drawers in her room. He'd left it there at their wedding. Now, she'd use it until the time came she would make her own. The Force was truly an amazing thing. She learned to shield her presence so no one anywhere could detect where she was. She didn't realize how handy it really was. She'd learned so much from Master Qui-Gon, she'd realized what made Obi-Wan the excellent master he is today. She was pleased to hear that Qui-Gon admired her patience. Patience was a key part she learned in being a senator, and now she was using it as a Jedi. She'd found some combat wear in the back of her closet in cases of emergencies. Now, they became her normal wear as they let her move easily. Her skills with a lightsaber were growing nearly as fast as her connection with the force. After an entire year of hard work, Qui-Gon felt she was finally ready to face the cave. One morning, as Padme was sitting on the floor waiting for the day's training, Qui-Gon told her,

"Padme, you have grown to be a skilled padawan, and I am very proud of you. The time has come for you to face the cave." He said.

"The cave?" she asked. She'd never heard Anakin say anything about a cave. Probably, because he didn't _want_ her to hear. She faced Master Qui-Gon again.

"The cave is a significant part of each Jedi's training. It is the test of the spirit. You must go into a cave, and in there, you will be faced. It may or may not be painful to watch, but it leads you on the path to your destiny." Qui-Gon explained to her. Padme nodded her head. She put a large cloak over her head to disguise herself from bounty hunters. They were crawling all over the place like maggots. Qui-Gon's spirit guided her deep into the swamps right outside the lake. They went to the middle of the swamp where little light shined. There she found the cave. She dropped the cloak, and took a deep breath. This part was all so new to her. The rest of her training she had already heard about whenever Anakin came home and told her. She wondered why he didn't tell her about this. Then she remembered what Qui-Gon had said. This vision might bring her pain. Anakin was never was a big fan of pain. He often times shunned himself from everyone whenever he was in great pain. She, however, was not like Anakin. She could overcome pain, and made sure she clued her loved ones in on her troubles, and it always made her feel better. She took another deep breath before finally walking into the cave.

The walls were slimy and green, and the ceiling was covered in worms and other little creatures. The appearance was disgusting, but Padme kept walking. As she walked, she thought she could hear voices hitting the walls. Then, she saw something run past her, a white light. She snuck up to this white light and followed it to a small part of the cave. As she got closer, she realized it was more than just a light; it was an angel that Anakin had told her about years ago. The angel glowed brightly in the dark cave, and she realized it was carrying something. She looked closely at the angel and realized it was holding a child, no wait, two children. It laid one sleeping child on a soft patch of grass hidden in the corner, and then ran back in the direction in which she came. Padme followed the angel once again as it carried the other child all the way to the other side of the cave. As it hid the other child in another spot, the angel looked up and face turned into complete fear. Padme thought it was scared of her, but then she turned around to see what the real threat was. A dark shadow suddenly appeared from behind them. The dark shadow traveled toward the child in the corner. It was just about to engulf him, but suddenly the angel blocked the path between the shadow and child. The shadow grew angry, and tried to shoot an army of demons from its hands. The angel simply put her own hands up and deflected the demons away from the child. The demons came stronger and stronger, and the angel appeared to be getting weaker with each blow. After that, Padme blacked out.

She woke up to find the cave empty. The angel, the shadow, and the children were gone. She ran back out of the cave to find Qui-Gon waiting for her. He decided to give her a minute to sit down and process what she saw.

After a minute, he asked her, "What did you see?"

"I saw an angel trying to hide two children, but a dark shadow followed her and tried to get them. The angel tried to fight back the shadow to the best of her ability, but I don't know what happened to the angel." Padme said.

"What do you think this vision means to you?" Qui-Gon asked her. She realized the vision explained her story, and the angel was her.

"I think it means I'm the angel. Also, I think it's telling me I should protect Luke and Leia with my life."


	10. Chapter 10 The Way Out

A/N: I know my updates are taking longer and longer. I've been traveling a lot recently and I'm finding it hard to get time on my computer. I just want to thank all my faithful readers right now and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Padme had been thinking about her day in the cave for weeks. She was 98 positive that it was telling her that protecting her children was her number one priority. What she wondered was… how? She's pretty sure they were safe where they were. Vader has no knowledge of Leia's existence, and Vader wouldn't dare to go back to Tatooine and discover Luke. Did she have to do something else? This frustrated her a lot. Every time Anakin tried to fix a situation, he only ended up making it worse. She decided to ask Master Qui-Gon.

"Master Qui-Gon, how am I supposed to follow my vision? Should I bring the twins back, or leave them as they are? How much more do I have to do? Are they or are they not safe?" She questioned. Qui-Gon looked at her as if many people had asked him those questions before.

"I cannot answer that. That is something you must decide for yourself. But I can give you this. There will be a time where it may become clear what you should do. In the mean time, you must go over all you've studied, and prepare for that moment." Qui-Gon advised her.

Padme got the message. What should she do about it now? Nothing. However, she must consider every setback for a fate-deciding moment when it comes. She continued her studies as she did before, and reminding herself in her head who she was doing this for, and thinking of how every lesson would help her protect them. She also daydreamed about how the twins probably look right now as they grow up.

Qui-Gon was very impressed with Padme's skills. In the matter of two years, she'd already accomplished what took normal Jedi decades to complete. She'd already taken the trial of Spirit in the cave, and the trial of Flesh when she gave up her twins for their own safety. In order to take the trials of Skill and Courage, she would have to build her own lightsaber first.

He had Padme gather metal and parts for the lightsaber. A Jedi's lightsaber is reflected upon his or her own personality. So where better to get the metals than from your home planet? She worked for days on the shape and structure of her weapon. She knew this was critical to a Jedi's status and wanted it to be absolutely perfect. She didn't have much experience in mechanics, but the force told her how to put things together. A week later, she finally finished the shell of her lightsaber, but she knew the next part would be risky. She would have to get a crystal. There's was only one place in the galaxy that had the crystals powerful enough to work a lightsaber, Ilum.

Both she and Qui-Gon knew it would be very risky. How could she guarantee the trip would be safe? She's on a run from the Empire! She'd need a safe way to get off the planet, but how? She remembered back in her days as a Queen. Every now and then, she would disguise herself as a civilian and walk through the streets of Theed to see what the Queen couldn't. If she walked through as a Queen, many of the outlaws would run and hide before she could get a good look at them. Her disguise helped her snag many criminals. However, once she found a secret transportation, a refugee freight ship that many people would get on to escape without ID or any paperwork.

She never pictured this would be of use to her one day. She put on a refugee outfit, but kept Anakin's old lightsaber in her pocket for emergencies. She also put on a blue wig she would use for security purposes. Even though there were not supposed any questions asked on the ship, she would need a fake name just in case. She'd told Anakin all her old ones, so she'd need a new one. She decided to do a little wordplay on her real name. Medpa, Medpa Kalwersky. She knew it was a silly name, but she'd heard worse throughout the galaxy.

She snuck out of her lake house in the middle of the night. No one knew someone had been living in there, so she couldn't walk out in broad daylight. She walked into the downtown area of Theed which reminded her of Coruscant's nightlife. During the day, the city was a lovely place, but at night the vermin came out to have their fun. As a woman of high class, she could hardly bear walking through such crowds of bounty hunters and criminals, but she had to pretend she was one of them. She didn't even want to know what just stuck to the bottom of her boot. She walked into a bar in order to find out how to get to this secret freight ship. She had no idea how she was going to find it, but she hoped something here could give her a clue. She took a seat and ordered a small drink. She wasn't actually going to drink it, but for now she had to act casual. She looked out into the other people in the bar. She saw people gambling, playing sabaac, fighting each other and just watching the Holonet. Then, she noticed a couple people at the back of the room. They looked like they had stuffed backpacks as if they were going somewhere. She saw them being led by a big creature in a black suit through the back door. Maybe, that was the way to the ship. She followed them as they walked through a dark alley that led outside of town. There, she found her ride. A small beat up cargo ship was being loaded with a dozen other people. It was a tight spot but she managed to squeeze herself in.

She had no idea where she was going, but she hoped it would help her get to Ilum. They landed on some unknown planet where there were a whole bunch of ships like this one. It was an entire system of freight ships! She walked around until she found a creature handing out schedules. There she found what she was looking for: ILUM 1 AM.

She smiled as she found her way to finishing her lightsaber. She looked at her watched and realized it was 12:50 in the morning! Her ship was leaving in 10 minutes! She ran towards the station where she made it in the nick of time. Only 3 other people got on, so there was plenty of room for them. She looked at the other three passengers as she studied their faces. She could sense what they were running from. One was a teenage twi'ek running away from home. One was an outlaw running from a death sentence. The last one was a just a regular traveler, a man with no purpose but to see other planets without having to pay for a ticket. As she thought about these people, her eyes started to droop. She spent sleepless night making her lightsaber shell, so she'd only gotten 5 hours of sleep all week. The trip would take about 6 hours, so she decided to crawl into the corner and get a nice sleep before she completed her lightsaber.

In the middle of the galaxy, Darth Vader's search continued. Yes, he'd been at this for a couple years, but he knew it would take a long time. Every now and then, he clued the Emperor in on his search. Palpatine was not so pleased. He wanted the boy as soon as possible. Darth Vader hoped he could please his master soon. He checked his readings to see what the next planet was up ahead. The scanner read:

NEXT STOP: ILUM.


	11. Chapter 11 Finding the crystal

The screech from the freight ship woke Padme up as it stopped. Everyone put their coats on as they walked out into the snowy ground. The other people walked into the motel located in the little village they stopped at, but Padme had more important things to attend to. She looked out into mountains, and headed towards them.

The winds were hard, but that didn't stop her. Snow hit her face, and melted on her warm cheeks. She held her unfinished lightsaber close, and thought about the last time she came here.

Master Yoda had to rescue two Jedi trapped in the caverns. He even had to play a Jedi mind trick on Captain Typho to let them go. She spent hours just waiting there, but soon she couldn't wait anymore. She had head out to find him and make sure he was okay. She remembered the chameleon droids that attacked her. She'd gotten rid of them with a thermal detonator before she saw Master Yoda and the Jedi safe. Then, her mind went back to Captain Typho; he never knew what happened to her. The last time he saw her was when he begged her not to go to Mustafar. Padme did not regret her decision to leave without him. If he had seen her being strangled, he would have tried to stop Vader, but only gotten himself injured or killed. She just wished she could tell her friend she was okay, and he had done his job of protecting her.

As she thought about her friends, she noticed a faint light about a mile away. She figured it was the Adegan crystals, and that she was close. Meanwhile, Vader and his troops landed in the Ilum village, and stopped at the motel for a quick break. Vader didn't want to stop, but the troops insisted. He just clenched his fists and let them go in. After about an hour, Vader grew tired of this waste of time, and head out alone. He would take care of this himself. As he head outside, he got a feeling that he had been waiting for for a long time, her presence. She was here. He ran around the tiny village, but it didn't get any stronger. He went outside the town and noticed footprints in the snow. He WAS getting closer! He marched in the direction that the footprints led to as her presence got stronger and stronger.

Padme entered the cavern to find walls of crystals. Red ones, blue ones, green ones, yellow ones, silver ones, and purple ones. She picked the one she liked best, the green one, because it reminded her of the plants and flowers on her home planet. She opened the shell of her lightsaber, and put the crystal into the center of the glass crystal chamber. As she put the shell back together, she pressed the activation button to reveal a 20-inch glow of an emerald light. Padme could feel the force flow from her hands to her weapon as she took in the excitement. She practiced a few of her moves with it and smiled at the green light's movement. Suddenly, Qui-Gon spirit showed up before her.

"Congratulations, Padme. You've made yourself an excellent weapon. It will be of great use in combat." He praised her.

Suddenly, Padme heard footsteps coming near her. She could feel it was a dark presence, Vader. He'd found her! This time she was ready now that she had a lightsaber of her own.

Vader marched into the cavern. He stormed into the middle area where all the crystals were, but found nothing. Where was she? What was she doing HERE? He recognized this place as the cavern where he got his first Adegan crystal for his lightsaber. Every Jedi came here to make his/her first lightsaber. What business did Padme have here? When he found her, he wouldn't bother asking. She'd probably tell him before he got the chance.

"I've been waiting for you, Vader." Padme's voice echoed throughout the whole cavern. Vader looked around, but didn't see her.

"It has been far too long." He responded.

"I bet you are wondering what business I have in the caverns of Ilum…," Padme's voice continued. Vader smiled as he knew he was right,

"Well, I'm not going to say it out loud, of course. You're strong with the force. Let your feelings tell you. If you have any feeling left in you." Her voice snickered. Vader was a little steamed at this taunting, but he decided to listen to her, anyway. He let the force tell him her business.

"So, you're becoming a Jedi. That's really front page news." He said

"What are you here for, Vader? You didn't come all this way for me. You want the little boy, don't you?" Padme's voice asked.

"Impressive, and I expect you to tell me what I want if you want to leave this cave alive." Vader threatened. Padme jumped down from the stalactite from which she had clung to above. Her face showed no fear.

"You don't frighten me anymore, Vader." Padme said as she activated her lightsaber.


	12. Chapter 12 Man vsWife

A/N: Please go easy on my duel description. I'm not experienced in writing action scenes.

Vader wanted to laugh at Padme's challenge, but he could feel that the force really _was _strong with her. She might actually put up a good fight. He still wondered how this was all possible, but that didn't matter now. He had to show her once and for all how powerful he really was. She would not get away this time. He drew his lightsaber as well.

Suddenly, Padme leaped towards him to attack. Vader deflected it, but was stunned at her intensity. She'd always been a soft person, but she struck with such a force. She continued to attack; each with a strong blow. Vader deflected each one, but then switched from defense to offense. His offense was very strong as well, as it pushed her into the cavern wall little by little. His blade came within inches of her face, but she rolled out of its way to the opposite wall before it could touch her. Vader spun around to face her as she crept towards him to strike. Vader defended himself before switching back to attack mode again. He led the duel away from the crystals and towards the outside of the cave. The ice and snow around them started to melt as their battle boiled.

Padme did let her mind wander a bit as she dueled. She could feel Anakin's anger as he fought. So, this is what it felt like to be one of Anakin's foes. She couldn't help but notice the irony of their duel. She thought Mustafar's Brother vs. Brother Duel was sad. This was Man vs. Wife! Then, she reminded herself, this was not her husband. Her husband was locked up somewhere in the black heart of this metal machine. She thought she could free him, but all her attempts so far had failed. Maybe if she defeated him at this battle, she would get another chance to try. Her mind shifted back to full concentration on this duel.

Little drops of snow dropped on their heads when they made it outside the cave. The evening brought a slight wind, but neither seemed affected. Vader was impressed with Padme's skills. Her style was similar to Obi-Wan's, as if they had been trained by the same master. However, he was not about to disgrace himself again with the mistakes he made last time. Whatever he did, he must not let her have any high ground. He tried not to aim for fatal territories such as the stomach or neck as he normally would. His goal here was not to kill her, but to weaken her to the point where she would join him or at least give them the location of their son. She did not show any signs of surrender so far, so he would need some help from the weather. He noticed the snowfall was getting thicker, and the winds were blowing harder.

They could hear the clashes of their lightsabers echo through the mountain range. As the light snow turned into a blizzard, Padme's hand began to feel the chill. She knew she couldn't let the frost get to her. Since Vader had no real limbs, the ice did not take its toll on him. As the cold made her hands weaker, Vader took this to his advantage. He got the opportunity to kick her square in the jaw knocking her head back for a second and cut a tear in her clothing. Padme took this as a warning. The next time she let the cold distract her like that, it could spell defeat. She went back to full focus despite her cold hands and bleeding chin. She made a giant twirling leap and went for a stronger offense. Vader raised his eyebrows (or what's left of them) at this rebuttal. He was especially shocked and sort of impressed as she managed to slice a piece of his cape off.

As they approached a large mountain, Vader got an idea. He struck his lightsaber above her head, to which she ducked. As she ducked, he flipped over her and faced her back. She spun around, making her back now face the mountain. Vader waited until they were only a few feet away from the mountain. Then, he took a strike at her feet, to which she jumped 2 feet into the air. However, Vader took this moment to force-push her into the side of the mountain. She grunted as her head hit the hard rock knocking her down.

"I must admit you have been trained well, but you can never overpower the dark side. They say if you can't beat them, then join them. It would be a wise decision for you to surrender as we finish." Vader said.

"Who said we're finished here? I'm not going to give up fighting you." Padme said panting heavily.

"Oh, that won't be necessary." Vader said as he turned a knob on his respiratory control box. Suddenly, an irritating high frequency buzz let out into the terrain. Padme covered her ears at the drum-shattering shriek. After about 30 seconds, Vader turned the knob back down to normal.

Padme uncovered her ears and chuckled, "I'm not going to give up to some high-pitched noise, Vader."

Vader smiled underneath his helmet. Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently, and Padme found it difficult to get off the ground. They heard a roaring sound behind them. Padme turned around to see a giant avalanche coming right towards her! She turned back around to see Vader already ran out of its path. She tried to get out of the way, but the avalanche ran right over her burying her in snow. Vader watched from on top of a tall rock. There was no way she couldn't surrender now, if she was still alive. After the snow stopped, Vader rushed out to look for her. Once he found her, he would take her back to his ship for interrogation. He grabbed his comlink and ordered the troops to come as soon as possible. He started looking for her in the spot he saw her last.

Several feet from the spot where Vader was feeling for a body, a woman's hand popped out of the snow looking for the surface. Vader searched in several spots, but couldn't find her. Suddenly, he felt her presence right behind him. He jolted around and deflected the blow she was about to drive into his back. She was covered in snow, but seemed to have taken little damage.

"Impressive, Padme, most impressive indeed." Vader said.

"It's going to take a lot more to get rid of me." Padme responded.

They continued on with their duel, but now they were headed up the mountain. Padme switched back to defense as their fight steamed up again. She waited for the right moment to make her move. As they came near a wall of the mountain, Padme aimed for Vader's knees making their swords clench near the ground. Padme let one hand free and used it to force push Vader. Vader caught this and returned the move with a force push from his direction. They stayed in place for a second, but then fell back in opposite directions. Padme's back hit the mountain, and Vader fell in the snow. As Vader was down, Padme used the time to start climbing up the mountain. When he got up out of the snow, Vader saw her going up the mountain, and crushed the rocks just above her with the force. The parts of rock fell down towards Padme's head, and it almost made her slip. Then Vader rushed to the wall and started to climb the side of the mountain as well.

Vader's mechanical limbs were very helpful when it came to rock climbing. In a few minutes, Vader was only a foot away from the spot where Padme was. When he got close enough, he started to swing at her with his saber in one hand. She tried to block his attack as she scurried up the mountain away from Vader's reach. Every time he came near her, she either tried blocking his attack or using the force to make rock crumble in his direction. After about half an hour, Padme made it to the top of the mountain first, and took a second to catch her breath. Vader, a couple feet away, force jumped to the top of the mountain. He could see Padme was tired; she was seconds away from defeat. When his feet touched the ground, his saber was held inches away from her throat. She moved it away from her neck with her own lightsaber, and stayed at defense while Vader's blows seemed to be affecting her.

When she tried to strike again, they ended up in a clench. Vader saw how the energy was being drained from her as this clench stood longer. Finally, Vader nipped at her elbows and knees, and she went to the ground, double over in pain. She looked behind and saw she was inches away from the edge of the mountain. She looked out farther to see they were on a cliff, and below was a giant lake of ice.

"When will you learn? You cannot defeat the dark side. It's far too powerful. I will offer you one more chance. I will end this now, take you back to my ship, clean you up, and I'll let you make the government however you want it to be." Vader said putting his lightsaber away and stretching out his hand. Padme looked at his mechanical hand, and then at his mechanical face.

"When will YOU learn, Vader? The galaxy I care about cannot just be handed to people. Also, the man I love is human, not a robotic Lord of the Sith!" She barked at him. Vader couldn't believe this, she was at the edge of death, but she still refused his offer.

"Alright, then. If you will not join, then tell me something, and I will spare your life and let you live as you please." Vader bargained. Padme looked up waiting for the question.

"Where is the boy?!" Vader asked loudly. Padme face didn't budge, until she responded,

"I'll never tell you where my son is. You'll never get your dirty evil hands on him!"

"There's more than one way of getting information from you." Vader said menacingly. Padme knew what he meant. He was going to read her mind for information! She kept her thoughts clear as she could feel his dark force searching her mind. Vader tried to search her mind for information, but she cleared her mind completely. Nothing he said would break her concentration. He grew aggravated as he realized she wasn't giving up the location of their son.

In an all out rage, he boomed, "You might be strong in the force, but only a fool passes up an offer such as mine!"

With that being said, Vader pulled a blaster rifle from his belt and shot Padme right in the shoulder sending her over the cliff.

A/N: The story isn't over quite yet! There is still one more chapter! Stayed tuned for the final chapter of She's a little Runaway.


	13. Chapter 13 Destiny

A/N: Here it is, my final chapter. I greatly appreciated all your reviews, and I hope you will like the ending.

Padme tried to reach for the edge for the edge of the cliff, but the pain in her elbow made it jolt back before she could touch it. Her mind was clouded with thoughts; she didn't even feel the air beneath her. She felt these as her final moments. She'd always heard your life passes before your eyes when you die, and she was no exception. She saw her parents' beautiful country home, and her first day in the senate. She saw the crowd cheering on her election of Queen. She saw all her friends: Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Bail, Yoda, Dorme, Sabe, and especially Anakin. She suddenly relived every moment of their lives together. She even heard the first words he ever said to her "Are you an angel?" She tried to feel for her japor snippet, but it was gone! It must've fallen off during battle, but that didn't matter now. Their reunion after 10 years, their first kiss, their picnic, their wedding, their first anniversary, and her telling him she was pregnant. Her kids, her reasons to live, she really did give it all to protect them. Vader, she thought she could stop him. She knew someone could stop him someday, but not today, and she was not that somebody. He wasn't the same with her anymore. Her opinions meant nothing to him. However, she remembered one tiny detail. Luke was the only thing that touched what's left of his heart. His breathing was calm around him, and Vader touched him gently.

She thought, maybe, Luke was the one to stop him. One day, when he was older, he could bring justice back to the galaxy. She finally realized she had indeed done her duty. If she'd given Vader the information he wanted, she might as well just have dropped Luke right into his mechanical arms. Now that she would be gone, Vader would have no one to give him Luke's location. If he went to Bail, he wouldn't get anything. He probably wouldn't even notice the Organas' new adopted daughter. She let it in that her sacrifice was kick-starting her children's destiny, and she fulfilled her vision. The world came to a close as her head broke the icy river, and she sank into the chilling water.

Vader looked down off the cliff, as he watched Padme hit the water with a crack. His problem, removed. He noticed not far from where he was standing something buried in the snow. He looked closer and picked it up. His heart dropped when he realized what it was, and Anakin briefly stirred. The japor snippet, the one he gave Padme, was in his hands. Suddenly, his troops arrived ready to take orders.

"Get reinforcements. I want you to search the entire river! We are not leaving until you have found the Senator!" Vader barked in an almost worried way.

They rushed down the mountain and looked at the hole in the icy lake. Several storm troopers put on warming wet suits and went in to analyze the area. They searched for hours, but so far they had no progress. Vader paced back and forth impatiently trying to look through the thick ice hoping she would be spotted. Suddenly, one trooper came running towards Vader.

"Lord Vader, sir, we've found something!" The commander exclaimed. Vader followed him towards the spot where Commander Fox held Padme's body.

"Very good, Commander Appo." Vader said to the trooper as they all headed back to Vader's shuttle.

Vader waited in the medical wing, looking through the glass to find the medical droids working on her. Things were not going well; her temperature was 20 degrees below average for a human being, and there were sharp pieces of ice stuck in the back of her brain. Vader could barely watch them work on his estranged wife. Her hair was getting reddish from the blood in the back of her head, she was as white as a trooper's armor, and not to mention the wounds on her knees and elbows Vader gave her. Three hours later, Vader burst into the operation room with impatience.

"What is taking so long?! Her temperature should have risen hours ago!" Vader shouted as her heart beat slower and slower.

"Lord Vader, there's nothing more we can do. We've heated every part of her body, but she's not responding. Plus, she suffered much damage to her brain." The medical droid said hopelessly. Suddenly, the heart monitor let out the noise every concerned friend, parent, or spouse feared the most: the ominous drone of a stopped heart.

Every bone left in Vader's face went numb. He said nothing, and he felt nothing at this moment. He marched out of the medical theatre and through the halls calmly. Every person on the ship stared at Vader as he passed by them without an order or complaint. Vader walked all the way back to his chamber, and sat in his chair motionless for several minutes. He didn't even blink. Then, his datapad pinged and he turned on the holoscreen to reveal the Emperor.

"Lord Vader, I am expecting an update in your search." The Emperor said stubbornly.

Vader reported, "My Master, we found Senator Amidala in the caverns of Ilum. She refused to cooperate, so I was forced to terminate her. Hopefully, a clue in her pockets may be able to help us to find a lead on the location of our…"

"Enough, Vader! This expedition is taking far too long! I've given you plenty of time to find a lead on this boy, but apparently your search is worthless. You assured me that finding Senator Amidala would give us the last clue to the boy's location. I'm sorry, Vader, but your quest must cease. We have more important and productive tasks to attend to." The Emperor interrupted and concluded as the hologram faded.

Vader stood there for several seconds with an increasing heartbeat. He calmly told his security guards to leave. As the door shut behind them, Vader ultimately broke down. He banged at the walls, and kicked his chair over. He threw vases across the room, and they shattered as they hit the floor. Sweat was pouring down his face under his mask. He felt his breathing get shallow, and his mechanical legs drop. He got down on his knees and stared at the floor. The japor snippet fell from his pocket and landed right in front of him. He could hear Padme's voice say, _I will not let the Emperor tell me what is right or wrong as you have let him._ He finally let streams of tears run down his face, and the heat from his mask made the tears fog up his lenses.

Seventeen years passed, and many changes were brought throughout the galaxy. Vader continued to serve under the Emperor's rule, and his next assignment was to capture Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan, and a suspected rebel leader. They suspected she had the Rebellion's plans aboard her ship, and his mission was to retrieve it. He had managed to capture the princess, but she refused to cooperate.

Meanwhile, outside the ship, an escape pod departed headed into deep space. Suddenly, a familiar spirit showed up next to the pod. She looked through the window, and recognized the two droids traveling in it. She looked out to see the planet of Tatooine behind her, and she noticed the pod flying right past it. Something clicked in her head, and she grabbed a hold on the pod turning it in a different direction, towards the desert planet. She watched the pod fly directly towards Mos Espa, and she smiled as she knew a brother and sister were to be reunited very soon.

A/N: I hope you guys didn't set your hearts on her living through the OT. I thought about it long and hard, but I felt that this fate for her was best.


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